Meet UIC’s 2025-26 Rising Stars and Distinguished Researchers

Top, left to right: Salman Khetani, Shannon Halloway, A'Lester Allen, Alexander Yarin, Amanda Lewis, Cedric Johnson and Jonathan Connolly. Bottom, left to right: Marina Mogilner, Matthew Daly, Renee McCarthy, Robert Motl, Ruixuan Gao, Terrell Morton and Timothy Koh. (Photos: Jenny Fontaine and Martin Hernandez/UIC)

Each year, the UIC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research presents the Research and Scholarship Awards to recognize outstanding representatives of the UIC community whose drive to solve problems and expand knowledge create local and global impact.

The awards honor researchers who have made significant contributions to science, education and our understanding of history as Distinguished Researchers. Early-career researchers who are poised to become leaders in their fields are honored as Rising Stars.

The awards also recognize UIC staff and faculty members for outstanding postdoctoral scholarship, mentorship and research support.

To complement the annual research awards, the Office of Technology Management recognizes a UIC Inventor of the Year whose innovation significantly impacts their field and society.

The 2025-26 awardees, whose work spans engineering, history, life sciences and social sciences, will be celebrated at a ceremony at the Field Museum on April 22. Read about each winner below and the question that drives them to explore.

Basic Life Sciences

Rising Star: Ruixuan Gao, PhD
Assistant Professor, departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
What can molecules tell us about our brains?

Distinguished Researcher: Timothy Koh, PhD
Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, College of Applied Health Sciences
How can inflammation improve wound healing in diabetes?

Clinical Sciences

Rising Star: Shannon Halloway, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA
Associate Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing
Can physical activity delay cognitive decline?

Distinguished Researcher: Robert Motl, PhD
Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, College of Applied Health Sciences
How does exercise affect Parkinson's and MS?

Natural Sciences and Engineering

Rising Star: Matthew Daly, PhD
Associate Professor; Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering; College of Engineering
What's light as glass and strong as metal?

Distinguished Researcher: Salman Khetani, PhD
Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, colleges of Engineering and Medicine
How can we safely test drugs and chemicals?

Social Sciences

Rising Star: Terrell TeMorton, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education
How can we enhance STEM learning for Black students?

Distinguished Researcher: Cedric Johnson, PhD
Professor, departments of Black Studies and Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
What changes beyond the wins did Black activism produce?

Humanities, Arts, Design and Architecture

Rising Star: Jonathan Connolly, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
What does freedom look like after abolition?

Distinguished Researcher: Marina Mogilner, PhD
Professor, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
How can rethinking the borders reshape history's telling?

Inventor of the Year: Alexander Yarin, PhD
UIC Distinguished Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
How can polymer science help protect dentists from COVID-19?

Postdoctoral Scholar of the Year: A'Lester Allen, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Retzky College of Pharmacy
How can tiny molecules drive big innovation?

Faculty Mentor of the Year: Amanda Lewis, PhD
Professor, Departments of Black Studies and Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
What does meaningful mentorship look like?

Champion of Research Support: Reneé McCarthy, JD
Senior Associate University Counsel, Office of University Counsel
How is research protected in a changing funding environment?